The guiding principles behind Josepf Goebbels masterful propoganda campaign were written by his mentor:
Common people " more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying."
Adolph Hitler – Mein Kampf, Book 1, Chapter 10
What are we to make of a company that turns its inventory 5 times a year, has average manufacturing cycle times of over a month to make small electrical components, has engaged the services of a Chief Accounting Officer to keep the SEC wolves away from its complex accounting, runs it global operations via a massive ERP system, brought less than 4% to the bottom line last year, tossed its Irish workforce out on the street to replace them with Taiwanese labor …
While at the same time, sent their Chairman and CEO to the Manufacturer’s Conference to lecture about lean manufacturing, kept a straight face while accepting recognition from the President of Mexico for their lean manufacturing success, is cited by a big lean consulting company as a client success, and is featured in an article in The Economist, sandwiched in between quotes from Jim Womack and Cliff Ransom.
The Economist says, "After starting a new “lean manufacturing” drive three years ago, the plant took inches off its waistline. It now receives its raw materials—such as resins and high-grade zinc—“just-in-time” to pull them through its production line." If that were remotely true, inventory would not be oozing at an imperceptible 5 turns.
Who’s lying and who just doesn’t get it? The article author? The consultant? The executives of the company?
No matter. Driving a manufacturing company into the ground with a dismal combination of old time management and modern gimmicks, then proclaiming the mess to be lean does a disservice to everyone in the lean community. It is no wonder that so many executives think so little of lean when they are bombarded at every turn with what Hitler very accurately termed the "big lie".
The company: Littelfuse, a Delphi supplier, which should not surprise anyone.
Mark Graban says
I don’t think it’s at all appropriate to use Hilter analogies. It trivializes what the Nazis did. Running a manufacturing poorly is a completely different ballgame. I don’t like it when people compare business to war. Comparing businesses to the Nazis doesn’t seem to add anything constructive to the debate.
Peter says
While you are right that it is very inappropriate to compare just about anything to the Nazis.(Godwin’s law springs into mind)
You are wrong about the war part. When “Mein Kampf” was written, the second world war had not started yet.
Bill Waddell says
It is not a comparison of manufacturing to war, Nazis or anything else. It begins with the theory of propoganda as defined by the best propogandists in history; then goes on to suggest that manufacturers proclaiming to be lean are following that “Big Lie” theory of propoganda.
Further, I do not subscribe to any rules of political correctness that dictate that any and all references to Hitler or the Nazi party in any way trivialize the Holocaust or the horror he wrought on the world. It is amazing how many people have do and have deliberately chosen to ignore the vital lessons Henry Ford can teach about manufacturing based solely on Ford’s relationship with the Nazi’s, and Hitler’s favorable opinion of Ford.
Facts are facts, and quotes are quotes. What anyone chooses to read into them or how they interpret them lie in the heart and mind of the person doing the interpreting.